Shoeshining or buffing device



April 1, 1952 Filed Dec. 12, 194'? W. C. DICKSON SHOE SHINING OR BUFFING DEVICE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 IN V EN TOR.

ll/T650 z'o/rson W JW Patented Apr. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOESHININ G R. BUFFIN G DEVICE WesleyC. Dickson, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application-December 12, 1947,'SerialNo. 791,211

3 Claims. 11

This invention relatesto a device of extremely simple construction and by means of which the toe portions and sides of shoes, while being worn, may be readily buffed to remove dust and dirt and renew a polished lustre.

The heel portion and sides of the uppers of low quarter shoes are normally kept clean and bearing :a high lustre by the trousers but the toe portion and the forward part of the sides of the uppers rapidly accumulate dust and dirt after polishing.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a buifer which may be utilized while the shoes are being worn and without leaning over for buffing the toe portions and sides of the shoes for renewing the shine or lustre and for removing dust and loose dirt therefrom.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of extremely simple construction and which is light. in weight and capable of being readily moved from place to place and which is adapted to be held in a fixed position by one foot of the user while the shoe of the other foot is being buffed or polished.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a buffer of the aforedescribed character wherein the bufiing material is capable of being readily replaced after becoming worn and unserviceable.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent fro-m the following description of the drawings, illustratinga presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

Figure l is a front elevationalview of the shoe shining device;

Figure 2 is a sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is horizontal sectional view taken along substantially a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 "of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the blank of which the frame of the device is formed, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the frame and looking generally toward the rear end thereof.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the novel shoe shining or bufiing device in its entirety and as best illustrated in Figure l is designated generally I and includes a base 8 which is preferably formed by anelongated piece of board and to which is adapted to be secured the-terminals of an arch-shapedframe, designated generally 9 and which may be formed of anysuitable substantially rigid material, preferably a metal.

The frame 9 which is formed from a single blank or sheet of material, as illustrated. in Figure 5,.is folded along the dotted lines in of Figure 5 and is provided with cut outportions H, I2 and I3, as seen in Figure 5 to formcorresponding upstanding side walls I4, a topwall I5 anda rear wall I6. Each of the sidewalls I4 is provided withan outturned flange [1 at the bottom thereof forming-a foot portion provided with openings I8 adapted to receive suitable driven fastenings I9 for securing said :foot pertions I! to the base 8 for supporting thelframe 9 thereon. The side edges of each of theside walls I4 are provided with flanges 2i] which are turned outwardly and backwardly and are disposed at acute angles to said side walls. The top wall I5 across its forward edge is provided with an upstanding, flange 2| and the depending rear wall It which terminates substantially above the lower ends of the side walls I4, is provided with an upwardly and outwardly extending flange 22 which is also disposed at an acute angle thereto. As best illustrated in Figure 5, the flanges 20, 2I and 22 are each provided with a tapered. projection 23, for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent.

The arch-shaped frame 9, as seen in Figures 2 and 3, is preferably lined on its inner side with a buffing material such as sheepskin, designated generally 24, and including the skin or backing 25 and the wool or nap 26. It will be readily obvious that other types of bulling material could be utilized including a backing strip having a nap or felty portion secured thereto. The buffing piece 24 is shaped to fit the internal sides of the side walls l4 and top wall I5 as well as the rear wall I6 and with sufficient material to lap over the flanges 20, 2| and 22 and said buffing piece 24 is secured to the arch 9 by forcing the prongs 23 through the skin or backing strip 25 and bending the prongs inwardly or downwardly, as illustrated in Figure 2, for anchoring the buffing piece 24 to the inner side of the frame 9 and as best illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the left foot, for example, could be placed on the left-hand end of the base 8, beyond the frame 9 for holding the shoe shining device 1 on the floor or other suitable supporting surface while the right foot was inserted into the open front end of the device 1, formed by the base 8 and the frame 9, internally covered by the bufiing piece 24. The top of the toe of the shoe could then be buffed by rubbing it back and forth against the portion of the buifing piece 24 disposed against the arch portion l and the toe of the shoe can be shined or buffed by rubbing it against the portion of the buffing piece 24 disposed against the inner side of the rear wall IS. The sides of the shoe are similarly buffed by rubbing them back and forth against the buffing material 24 disposed against the side walls l4 and for this purpose the toe of the shoe can be extended through the open lower portion of the rear end of the arch 9, beneath the rear wall l6'to permit buffing of the sides of the shoe back to the instep and for simultaneously bufiing the upper part of the toe of the shoe on the material 24 which is disposed around the bight portion formed by the "wall [6 and flange 22. By similarly applying the right foot to the right-hand end of the base 8, as seen in Figure 1, the left shoe can be bufied or polished in the same manner as previously described.

Obviously, if desired, the arch 9 could be secured to a fixed supporting surface and the base 8 could then be omitted.

It will be readily apparent that the prongs 23 can be straightened for detaching the buffing piece 24, after it has become worn and unserviceable, and a new buifing piece can then be applied and secured to the arch 9 by the prongs 23 and in the same manner as previously described.

Various other modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A shoe shining or buffing device comprising an arch-shaped frame wherein the axis of the arch extends from front to rear of the device,

said frame including upstanding side walls, a top "wall coextensive with said side Walls, and a rear wall depending from said top wall and terminating substantially above the lower ends of said' side walls, the lower ends of the side walls being fixedly secured to a supporting surface to support the frame thereon, said rear wall being spaced from the supporting surface to define a restricted opening in the rear end of the device, a piece of buffing material having portions disposed against the inner sides of the side walls, top wall and rear wall, and said side walls, top wall and rear wall having portions projecting outwardly relatively to the interior of the frame and provided with means for anchoring the buffing material piece thereto for securing it in position to completely line the inner side of said frame, said material extending immediately beneath and around the lower edge of the rear wall.

2. A shoe shining or buffing device as in claim 1, said means for anchoring the bufling piece to the frame including flanges formed integral with and projecting from the side edges of said side walls and disposed outwardly of and at acute angles thereto, an upstanding flange rising from the forward edge of said top Wall, an integral flange extending upwardly and outwardly from the lower edge of said rear wall, and each of said flanges being provided with at least one outwardly projecting tapered prong adapted to pierce a portion of the buffing piece for anchoring the bufling piece to the flange of which said prong forms a part.

3. A shoe shining or bufing device of the character described comprising a rigid base member,

a substantially rigid arch-shaped frame wherein the axis of the arch extends from front to rear of the device, said frame having a top wall and depending side walls coextensive therewith and anchored at their lower ends to said base member and intermediate of the ends thereof, a single strip of shining or bumng material lining the inner side of said arch-shaped member, and means forming outwardly projecting extensions of certain of the edges of said arch-shaped frame for detachably anchoring the bufifing strip thereto and around which portions ,of the buffing strip are disposed, said arch-shaped frame also including 2. depending rear Wall terminating substantially above the level of said base and lined by a portion of the buffing strip, said strip extending immediately beneath and around the lower edge of the rear wall, said rear wall and base combining to form a restricted opening in the rear end of the device.

'WESLEY C. DICKSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1 210,072 Ziegler Nov. 19, 1878 609,217 Wagner et a1 Aug. 16, 1898 905,583 Rich Dec. 1, 1908 1,275,861 Danielson Aug. 13, 1918 1,569,939 Sperling Jan. 19, 1926 1,823,690 Kootz Sept. 15, 1931 2,011,214 Erickson Aug. 13, 1935 2,283,063 Heuver May 12, 1942 

